Storage of chilled cream in relation to butter quality

Abstract

SummaryThe quality of fresh and stored butter made from chilled cream collected over 3 days and stored either by accumulation in a vat or by separate storage of each batch was compared with that of butter made from unchilled cream collected over one day.Provided each batch of cream after separation at 85 °F was cooled to 55 °F before addition to the vat, accumulation of cream at either 40 or 48 °F gave butter similar in quality to the control butter. Butter from cream cooled to 55 °F and held at this temperature, however, was slightly inferior in quality. The addition of the cream to the vat with no cooling, or cooling only to 70 °F, after separation gave butter of inferior quality due to rancid or stale flavours.Butter from cream cooled either to 70 or 50 °F before storage of each batch in separate containers at either 40 or 50 °F was only slightly inferior in quality and in keeping quality to the control butter.Defects in the chilled cream butters appeared to be due to lipolysis caused either by activation of the natural lipase of the cream or by lipolytic bacteria or both.